


Oath Sign

by Oceanbourne



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu | Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Genre: F/M, I think that's all that needs to be tagged, Pregnancy, planned for it to be a little dark but it wasn't
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-06-07 15:23:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15222101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oceanbourne/pseuds/Oceanbourne
Summary: He has no doubt that Ayra could cut through a dozen of the Beige Ritter’s best troops even with a swollen belly. But she’s not the one who needs looking after. Now they were responsible for a life inside her, a life that needed protection.





	Oath Sign

**Author's Note:**

> Or more like two - imagine their surprise when she delivers twins.
> 
> I haven't posted in a while but I've returned with one of my favorite ships again. This was supposed to be a discussion about the dangers of conceiving children in the middle of a war (I guess they saw Sigurd do it and thought it was ok) but then it turned to Lex and Ayra talking about why they want children and about being parents together, so it got heart-warming. I figure this takes place between chapters 4 and 5, right before they march on Dozel.

“I talked to Edain.” Ayra’s whisper comes like the rustling breeze through barren trees. “She agreed… with what I was suspecting.”

Lex nods along as she speaks, but when she finishes his lips part into an ‘o’, eyes widening. “Wait. So that means...”

“She said we can’t be certain, but it’s as close as you can get. I’m having all the same signs she had, and she’s a couple of months in now.” Ayra swallows, reaching for Lex’s hand. “So it’s best we start preparing now… for our family.”

Lex blinks, his mind awash. It felt as if a tidal wave had struck him in the face. “Our family. You… you’re pregnant?”

Ayra nods, her gaze falling towards the ground.

He looks up to the sky, and though it’s filled with clouds, he imagines where the star of Neir would be at this point in the day. Lex mouths a silent prayer of thanks to the memory of the crusader. It feels like he's weightless for a moment, suspended in air, and gravity can't keep him down.

There were days when Lex fought and trained to become just like his father. If his old man saw a little of himself in Lex, then he might respect him. He might even be proud of his son. But as news came in from Grannvale, about Duke Langobalt’s scheming along Duke Reptor, and as he ran away in Sigurd’s army, so too did Lex run further and further from the idea of ever following in that man’s footsteps.

Neir was the hero he looked up to now, the one he sought to resemble. Lex would fight for justice, not prestige or family name. Becoming involved with an Isaachian, he knew, was the final nail in the coffin. The duke of Dozel’s son being with a woman from the country they were fighting against? Lex could already hear his father’s disappointed sigh, and his birthright shattering into fragments.

And now she would give birth to a child with Dozel and Isaachian blood. Living proof of Lex’s treason.

Yet in spite of all of that, Lex could feel a warmth rising in his chest and a smile on his lips. He wouldn’t let the shadow of his father nor the shadow of the war before them drag down his spirits. Maybe it was the rush of being responsible for a new life. Maybe this was a sign of doing things over, of becoming a proper father to his own child. Maybe it was the idea of entering a new chapter of his life along with Ayra.

Lex’s mind had flooded with thoughts that he doesn’t see Ayra’s darkened expression until now. His face falls. “Hey.” He squeezes her hand. “What’s wrong? You don’t think that’s… bad, right?”

Ayra shakes her head, looking up to face him. “It’s not that. I’d love to raise a child with you. It’s just…” She places a hand on the scabbard affixed to her belt.

“Right.” Although he understands what Ayra’s getting at, Lex can’t help but drop his shoulders in relief. He’d thought there was a bigger problem.

“You want to be out there on the front lines, fighting with me. Carrying a child around isn’t doing you any favors.” Lex smirks. He has no doubt that Ayra could cut through a dozen of the Beige Ritter’s best troops even with a swollen belly. But she’s not the one who needs looking after. Now they were responsible for a life inside her, a life that needed protection.

“Well, Edain’s going to have a kid, too, right? There’s still some time before we head back into Grannvale. There are a few expecting mothers around - Sigurd’s a father too, he won’t let us march until the babies have been born.”

Lady Deirdre had given birth to Seliph back in Agustria, and she rarely complained about it, but Lex decided to leave her out of it.

“I know, it’s manageable.” Ayra sighs, moving to take a seat on a bench. Lex follows suit, still gripping her hand. She places their hands in her lap, and she looks out on their camp. Pack mules came and went, carrying grain from a road leading up into the mountains, and horse-drawn wagons carried other supplies. Even with months before their departure, the army had started preparing early.

“I just think of having to sit in bed for days, just waiting. Won’t be able to swing a sword or go for a run. I won’t be able to protect Shannan.” Ayra turns her head down, looking at the dirt path.

“He’s a big kid now.” Lex remembers how long his hair had grown, how he had protested when Ayra told him to cut it. “He and Chulainn sparred the other day, ended up in a draw. Didn’t he tell you?”

A small smile forms on Ayra’s face. “You’re right. He’s strong. Maybe I don’t need to watch over him. But I still want to be able to.” She turns to him. “Does that make sense?”

Lex nods. “Sounds like you’re already ready to be a mother.”

That brings out one of Ayra’s trademark glares. But it soon leaves her face as she shakes her head. “Well, you get the point. It feels better to be active, to go around and do things. To be free.”

He doesn’t respond at first, letting the weight of the statement evaporate into the air first. “I’ll be with you as much as I can. I’m more than willing to carry some of the weight - they’re gonna be my kid too, you know?”

Ayra smiles, her fingers brushing against his, her palm turning around so that it fits up against his. “Thank you, Lex.”

They sit in silence for a few moments before she speaks again. “Excited?”

“Terrified.” Lex laughs. “Actually, I thought a lot about having a kid of my own.”

Ayra raises a brow. “Was that before or after you met me?”

“I’ll admit, it did cross my mind a few more times.”

She jabs her elbow into his side, but leans against him and smiles. “Didn’t think you’d be the type. It seemed like having a child would just drag you down.”

Lex leans back, throwing his free hand over the back of the bench. “You wouldn’t be too far off the mark. But we’ve seen a lot in our travels.” He thinks back to Erinys’ pegasus squadron descending upon them, and learning of Lewyn’s true heritage. He learned to stop running, and embrace his duty as prince of Silesia.

Somewhere in the ice and snow, Lex had decided too. He’d have to fight his old man, and Danann too, for control of House Dozel. And he wouldn’t run, or shirk away this time - not with Ayra by his side.

He exhales, letting go of Ayra’s hand so he can pull her closer to him. “I think that… that a child out there deserves a good upbringing, a father he could bond with.”

Ayra shifts. “Lex…”

“It’s the least I can do.” Lex tosses a glance towards her. Her gray eyes always seemed so dark, like the clouds on the horizon during a storm. But he could never stop himself from getting lost in them. “They’ll have your looks, of course, so I need to give something.”

She elbows him again. “You’re ridiculous.”

“How about you? From what you’ve told me about Isaach, it seems rare that warriors ever settle down and start families.”

“It is rare.” Ayra brushes a loose strand of hair that fell over her face to the side. “I was the second child, so there wasn’t much pressure on me. And that pretty much disappeared when Shannan was born. But after the attack, after… what happened to Maricle, I realized how fragile our lineage could be. The heir to the throne, the wielder of our holy weapon, Balmung. Gone in a day.”

Equally rare were the opportunities when Ayra spoke this much about her family, especially about Maricle’s death. Lex keeps silent, letting her continue.

“Traveling with Sigurd’s army, I also changed. Not as a princess of Isaach, but as a person. A lot of that came from meeting you.”

Lex swallows. Ayra’s candidness came once in a blue moon, and when she did bring it up, it always spoke volumes about how she really felt.

“Hopefully for the better.”

Ayra tilts her head towards him and smirks into his shoulder. “Definitely, you big oaf.”

“I remember when you first saw our coat of arms. You wanted to cut me down right there for being from Dozel.”

“The biggest threat to Shannan and me at that time,” Ayra says. “But I learned you were nothing like your father and the rest of your house. And my opinion slowly changed. We despised you, back in Isaach. And I’m sure plenty of my countrymen still do. But…” She motions to her stomach. “I hope we can change that.”

“I hope so too.” Lex stretches his legs, getting up from the bench. “First we gotta win, then we can worry about the future.”

Ayra follows him, rising to her feet. “Right. For now… well, I should train while I still can.” She nods towards him. “You in?”

“Do I get a kiss if I win?”

Ayra smirks. “Maybe.” She moves in front of him, tossing her hair over her shoulder, and Lex can’t think of a more beautiful sight.

Then Ayra pushes him back and takes off towards the castle. “You’ll have to catch me first!”

 


End file.
